THE BLACKFOOT WOMAN.



Hole, not thinking, however, to come upon so large a
camp as they found at last. The savage garrison which
had so cunningly contrived to elude the guard set upon
them, carried off some of their wounded, and, perhaps, also
some of their dead; for they acknowledged afterwards a
much larger loss than appeared at the time. Besides Sin-
clair, there were five other white men killed, one half-0
breed, and seven Nez Perces. About the same number
of whites and their Indian allies were wounded.
  An instance of female devotion is recorded by Bonne-
ville's historian as having occurred at this battle. On the
morning following it, as the whites were exploring the
thickets about the fort, they discovered a Blackfoot
woman leaning silent and motionless against a tree. Ac-
cording to Mr. Irving, -whose fine feeling for the sex
would incline him to put faith in this bit of romance,
" their surprise at her lingering here alone, to fall into the
hands of her enemies, was dispelled when they saw the
corpse of a warrior at her feet. Either she was so lost in
grief as not to perceive their approach, or a proud spirit
kept her silent and motionless. The Indians set up a yell
on discovering her, and before the trappers could inter-
fere, her mangled body fell upon the corpse which she had
refused to abandon." This version is true in the main in-
cidents, but untrue in the sentiment. The woman's leg
had been broken by a ball, and she was unable to move
from the spot where she leaned. When the trappers ap-
proached her, she stretched out her hands supplicatingly,
crying out in a wailing voice, " kill me'! kill me! 0 white
men, kill me! "-but this the trappers had no disposition
to do. While she was entreating them, and they refusing,
a ball from some vengeful Nez Perce or Flathead put an
end to her sufferings.
   Still remembering the threats of the Blackfoot chief,



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